The people of Mozambique head to the polls on Tuesday to take part in presidential, provincial and legislative elections, reported Reuters.
The election sees the two main parties, Frelimo and Renamo, fight against each other. Nearly 13 million voters are registered in the southern African nation. But some election observers warn that insecurity might keep some from voting.
President Filipe Nyusi is expected to win a second term. He is the incumbent, having succeeded his mentor Armando Guebuza as head of Mozambique in 2014.
The main opposition party, Renamo, is eyeing the opportunity for a strong performance in provincial and legislative races. The party is hoping to win more political power over provinces for the first time since the civil war ended in 1992 as the election follows a peace deal signed between the two civil war rivals in August.
Under the peace deal, provincial governors will be selected by the main party in each province, rather than the government in Maputo. Renamo is banking on traditional provincial strongholds such as Sofala to gain influence.
“The biggest threat to the peace process is if Renamo does not deliver a good number of provinces,” said Alex Vines, head of the Africa programme at Chatham House.
The ruling Frelimo party has dominated the politics since the southern African country’s independence from Portugal in 1975. The election is widely expected to result in the ruling party extending its decades-long rule.
Voting polls will close at 6pm local time (16:00 GMT). Vote counting is expected to begin after the polls close and continue through the night. Preliminary results are expected on Wednesday.
